Fastener dispensing apparatus



Jan. 26, 1965 T. J. FINN 3,167,170

, FASTENER DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1'7, 1962 s Sheets-Sheet 1 I o L Z/ I FIG. I

INVENTOR.

THOMAS J. FlNN BYM [25 1 fl LZI L M ATTORNEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1962 INVENTOR THOMAS J FINN BY lg jir 650d. #4 f ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1965 T. J. FINN 3,167,170

FASTENER DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1'7, 1962. 5 Shegets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

FIG. 6

INVENTOR THOMAS J. FINN BY w fidi M FIGS maL ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,167,170 FASTENER DISPENSING APPARATUS Thomas J. Finn, Needham, Mass. (592 E. 1st St, South Boston 27, Mass.) Filed Aug. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 217,668 Claims. (Cl. 198-33) This invention relates to an automatic fastener applying apparatus. More specifically, it relates to a machine in which loose or bulk, U-shaped fasteners such as staples are oriented, inverted and supplied continuously to a clinching head and are applied to the article being stapled in such manner that the fiat or back portion of the staple is on the inside of the article and the clinched portion of the staple is on the outside of the article.

The conventional preformed wire staple provides a convenient means for attaching decorative pieces such as bows, tags, ribbons, beads and the like to objects such as womens shoes and the like. It is mandatory when a stapling machine is used for such an operation that the operator be able to position the decorative piece accurately with relation to the article and to position the staple accurately with relation to the decorative piece. In addition, it is desirable, especially in the case of womens shoes, that the inside of the shoe be as smooth as possible and free from any rough points or protrusions that might catch on hosiery and cause snags, holes and runs. To do this requires that the staples be so applied that the flat or back portion of the staple is on the inside of the shoe and the bent over or clinched portion of the staple is on the outside of the shoe.

To accomplish both of these desired operations, a staple machine should be so arranged that the staple feeding mechanism is adapted to extend inside of the shoe; that the clinching anvil or foot is spatially arranged above the feed; and that the staples are fed with their back portion down and their arm portions extending upwardly. Such an arrangement can be accomplished relatively easily if one is content to use pro-assembled sticks of staples similar to those used in desk stapling machines. When using such pre-assembled sticks of staples, the stapling machine can be provided with a spring loaded magazine into which an individual stick of staples can be loaded in the inverted or arms up position and the staples can be urged to the clinching end of the machine under spring pressure aplied to the rear of the stick of staples,

There are, however, several disadvantages in using preassembled sticks of staples in a production machine. One item to be considered is the expense involved in preassembling the staples in stick form. Staples are cut and formed individually from wire and are applied in dividually when used. Sticks of staples are formed by arranging the pre-cut staples in order and then gluing the arranged staples together. And, in fact, the greater portion of the purchase price of staple sticks is traceable not to the cost of the staples themselves, but to the cost of arranging them in stick form. Thus substantial savings may be made by avoiding the cost of assembling the loose staples into sticks, particularly when large volumes of staples are involved.

A second consideration when using pre-assembled sticks of staples in a production machine results from the substantial down-time or loss of productive time necessary to re-load the staple magazine. It the magazine runs out, the machine must be stopped before the magazine can be reloaded. The re-loading frequency depends, of course, on the number of staples in a stick. There are, however, limitations on the maximum number of staples that can be placed in a stick. One such limitation is imposed by the fact that there is maximum length that can be handled conveniently without the stick breaking into several pieces. In addition, it is necessary that a reasonably uniform pressure be exerted on the staple when the magazine is nearly empty.

Because of these limitations, stapling machines designed for use with staples pre-assembled in stick form frequently accommodate sticks of staples only or so staples in length and rarely, if ever, does the length of a stick in such a machine exceed 500 staples. At production speeds where staples may be used at a rate of one or more a second, it becomes readily apparent that the use of staples in stick form requires the machine to be shut down an excessive number of times for re-loading even when the longest useful sticks of staples are employed.

For these reasons, production stapling machines are generally of two types, either of which can be fed continuously or at least substantially continuously. In one of these, the wire fed machine, a long length of wire from a coil is fed to the machine and the staple is cut, shaped, inserted and clinched right at the point of use in a single operation. The necessary bulk of the mechanism required to do this, however, makes it impractical for use where the staple feeding mechanism must be inserted into a restricted area such as the .toe portion of a womans shoe.

Thus the most practical design for a suitable machine is the hopper fed machine in which individual staples in bulk are fed into a hopper, transferred onto a supporting or feed rail, and while supported and arranged on the rail, fed to the clinching head. Hopper-fed machines are in widespread use and the feed mechanism causes few problems as long as the staples can be fed with the back portion astride the supporting rail and with the points or arms of each staple hanging down on either side of the rail.

The arran ing of the staples on the feed rail initially can be accomplished, for example, by projecting a section of the feed rail into a cascade of falling staples such as exists in a hopper that rotates or in a hopper that has a staple elevating mechanism. Falling stapes oriented in the proper way when coming into contact with the top of the rail section will fall into position with their back portion astride the rail and their arms hanging on either side. Other staples not so oriented will fall away from the rail or may be removed easily as by being brushed off. If the feed rail i substantially as wide as the inside distance between the two arms of the staple, the staples will be arranged essentially transversely on the rail and jamming of the feed due to crossed staples on the rail Will be minimized.

Due, among other things, to the thinness of these U- shaped fasteners as opposed to those having three or more prongs and a wider back, the possibility of adjoining staples becoming entangled with one another and jamming the feed mechanism is, however, a real problem. A cover or guard is normally provided for the rail and is separated from the rail by a space only slightly greater than the thickness of the wire of the staple in order to prevent the overriding of one staple on another. In addition, as much as possible of the feed is arranged on an inclined plane so that individual staples may move forward entirely under the force of gravity. Mechanical forces for the purpose of urging the staples into the clinching head are normally applied only after the staples are arranged on a straight track where the entire side of each staple is in full contact with the adjoining side of the adjacent staple. Any such force, it must be remembered, is necessarily applied through a number of staples from behind and therefore would tend to cause the staples to override one another if there is any opportunity to do so.

In the feed mechanism, gentle curves may be provided in the feed rail, but only if no appreciable force is applied through a series of staples to push them forward and if the curve that at least one longitudinal surface of each staple is iri firin and parallel contact with the corresponding surface of the adjacent staple.

On the other hand, any orientation whereby the staples contact each other near the ends of the arms or where adjacent staples areangularly offset one to the other, will almost always leadto the entanglement of adjacent staples and thus'to the jamming of the feed mechanism. This is especially true if the line of staples in contact with each other is subjected to a substantial force such as that resulting from a mechanical means or from gravity acting through a large number of staples that tends to cause one staple to try to override another. Thus, while the feed rail can bend to the right or to the left or from a path that is inclined downwardly to one oriented horizontally, it should not bend from a' horizontal path to one inclined downwardly since in this instance there is a tendency for point to point c'onta ct between staples and it should not be given a helical configuration since here adjacent staples areoifset angularly. In either instance, the probability that adjoining staples will entangle and thus jam the feed mechanism is greatly enhanced.

It is limitations such as these on the extent to which lobse's't'aples oriented on a rail can be spatially re-oriented that has prevented the development of a suitable and elli'ci'ent st'a'p'lirig' machine designed for points-up application of staples supplied in bulk form and fed from a hopper. The only way that staples can be removed conveniently from a hopper and positioned initially on a feed rail is in a points-down orientation. To reorient these staples while arranged on a rail to a points-up orientation requires either that the rail have a helical twist through 180 or that it bend back on itself either upwardly or downwardly to reverse the direction of motion of the line of staples without disturbing the left-right orientation of the staples. tn the case either or" the helical twist or of the downwardly directed reverse bend, the ends of the arms of the adjoining staples can readily become entangled as aforesaid. in the case of direction reversal by means of an upwardly directed reverse loop, additionally, an excessive amount of propelling force would have to be applied to the line of staples thereby increasing the tendency of one staple to override another. And in all of these instances, the staple feed would be inconsistent and unreliable. The stapling machine itself would be likely to jam with great frequency and regularity.

I' have devised a simple mechanism whereby unattached staples arranged on a rail and having a points-down orientation can be re-oriented to a points-up orientation 'without any difliculty due to jamming. in this mechanism staples arranged on a rail are guided around a downwardly directed, generally semi-circular reverse bend by means of a serrated, generally semicircular block which forces the back of each staple individually and firmly against the rail thus preventing the possibility that adjacent staples will override one another, and which urges the staples around the bend by propelling forces applied to each staple individually and simultaneously thus preventing end to end entangling of adjacent staples.

My invention can better be understood by reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cut away side elevation showing a stapling machine incorporating my improved feed magazine;

FIG. 2 is a' similar view showing the essential parts in greater detail and omit-ting those parts not really necessary to an understanding of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a' detail side elevation along line 3-3 (FIG. 4) showing the feed magazine with certain obscuring elements removed;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section along line 44 (FIG. 2);

FIG. 5 is a cross-section along line 5-5 (FIG. 2);

F I G. 6 is a cross-section along line 6-6 (FIG. 2);

7 is a view along line 7-7 (FIG. 6-) on a larger scale.

Referring to the drawing, the stapling machine, represented generally at 11, has a base 12, a drive mechanism 13, a staple feed mechanism 14 and a clinching head 15. Base 12 consists generally of stand 16, upper extension 17, and lower extension 18. Drive mechanism 13 consists of drive shaft 19 and means for rotating drive shaft 19 such as drive pulley 21 and a solenoid actuated one turn clutch represented at 22. In the particular embodiment shown, drive pulley 21 is rotated continuously by a motor (not shown) and a power transmission means such as a V-belt (not shown) connecting the motor to the drive pulley. Drive pulley 21 is connected to drive shaft 19 through one turn clutch 22. The clutch is actuated by a solenoid (not shown) which in turn is actuated by a switch (not shown) such as a foot pedal controlled by the operator. The machine is designed to feed and clinch a single staple each time drive shaft 19 makes one rotation. Clutch 22 is designed to connect drive shaft 19 to drive pulley 21 for so long as the solenoid is' actuated and to release drive shaft 19 from drive pulley 21 at a predetermined rotational position of drive shaft 19 once the solenoid is released so that the machine will always start and stop at the same point in its cycle. The drive mechanism 13 including the clutch and clutch actuating switch are quite conventional and for this reason are not shown in any detail. There are any number of alternate drive mechanisms that might be used.

The principal element of staple feed mechanism 14 is feed rail 23, a metal bar having a width just slightly less than the distance between the arms of the staple it is intended to carry. The staples in question, indicated at S, are the conventional, generally U-shaped staples cut from wire with a back portion that may be flat or curved and two upstanding substantially parallel and substantially equi-length arm portions extending from the ends of the back. The size and shape of the wire and the relative proportions of the arm and back portions of the staple may vary substantially depending on" the purpose for which the staple is intended to be used. Obviously, the specific size and shape of the various elements in the staple applying machine involved in the transfer of staples'will vary according to the size and shape of the particular staples to be transferred.

Staples S are oriented on rail 23 by means of a hopper indicated at 24 into which rail 23 extends. The hopper and its action are quite conventional and for this reason are neither shown nor described in detail. In general, loose staplesS are placed in thehop'per and hopper Ed is actuated so that a cascade of staples will fall onto the eX- tension of rail 23 contained therein. Those staples so oriented that they will fall onto rail 23 with one arm on either side of and the back astride the rail will remain on the rail. Other staples not so oriented will tend to fall away from the rail and to the mass of staples in the hopper. Rail 23 is set at an angle such that it presents an inclined path to the staples oriented thereon whereby the staples will travel along the rail under the force of gravity. Means including a brush or the equivalent (not shown) may be provided to clear the extension of rail 23 periodically of excess staples and of staples that may remain balanced on rail 23 even though they are improperly oriented.

Rail 23 is provided throughout its length with a rail cover indicated at 25. Rail cover 25 is separated from rail 23 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the wire staples S and its function is to prevent staples S from cocking, from falling oil" the rail, and from riding up and over adjacent staples. Depending on the size and shape of the staples involved, rail cover 25 may be or may not be provided with sides that extend along side of rail 23. Rail 23 is so inclined th ough its entire length that staples will slide freely under the force of gravity. I

Clinching head 15 consists essentially of a retractable elongated presser foot or anvil 26 and staple driver 27.

#3 Staples S are fed to the clinching head in a points-up attitude while contained in the channel formed between outer support rail 23 and inner support rail 29 in lower extension 18 of base 12. Inner support rail 29 terminates just short of end 31 of outer support rail 28. At this point, outer support rail 28 is preferably a U-section and end piece 31 extends across the U-section to provide an abutment for the staples. In operation, the object to be stapled is clamped between presser foot 26 and lower extension 18. Staple driver 27 is elevated through slot 32 provided in the bottom of outer support rail 28 adjacent end piece 31. In so doing, staple driver 27 comes into contact with the back of a single staple abutting end piece 31, forces this staple upwards, thereby pushing the arms of this staple through the work and into depressions 33 provided in the bottom of presser foot as. Depressions 33 bend the arms and cause the staple to clinch. The portion 32' of slot 32 below the top of rail 28 is narrower than the width of one staple so that staples cannot fall down into slot portion 32, yet driver 27 is proportioned to pass through slot portion 32 and to engage the back portion of a single staple whereby one staple at a time is propelled upwardly into clinching relation with depressions 33 of presser foot The essential elements of the device for inverting staples S and for feeding the inverted staples to the clinching head can best be seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings in which the base and a number of the non-essential elements have been eliminated for clarity. Rail 23 terminates by abutting semi-circular or acutely bowed rail section 34 which protrudes from mounting block 35 which in turn is mounted on support 36 mounted on base 12. Throughout its entire length, rail 23 is set at an angle to the horizontal such that staples S will slide past the point of intersection of rail 23 and rail section 34 entirely under the force of gravity. The intersection between rail 23 and rail section 34 is such that a continuous and smooth sliding surface for the staples is presented. Semi-circular rail section 34 protrudes from mounting block 35 and is separated from support 36 sufiiciently to provide free clearance for the arms of those staples on rail section 34. Rail section 34 can be characterized as a segment of a vertically oriented discoid body.

Immediately facing rail section 34 there is provided a semi-circular or acutely bowed guard section 37 mounted on support 36 which section acts as a continuation of rail cover 25. The gap between guard section 37 and rail section 34 is just slightly greater than the thickness of the back portion of staples S so that the staples can pass freely between rail section 34 and guard 37 but cannot become separated from rail 34 by more than a mere fraction of the wire thickness of the staple. Guard section 37 is provided with a slot 38 (see FIG. 4) which passes through section 37 parallel to the surface thereof and which extends to the rear thereof.

Slot 38 is centered on rail section 34 and has a thickness slightly less than the thickness of rail section 34. Also, slot 38 extends the full length of the portion of the semi-circular face of guard section 37 facing rail section 34 and therefore staples S can come into contact only with the two portions of guard section 37 separated by slot 38, which portions are referred to as outer guard section 37* and inner guard section 37 In FIG. 3, outer guard section 37 has been removed for clarity and the side walls of slot 38 are shown at 39, 39. Since slot 33 has a lesser thickness than rail 34 which in turn is only as thick as the span between the arms of staples S, outer and inner guard sections 37 and 37 can contact a substantial part of the back portions of staples S and thereby prevent dislodgment or disorientation of the staples.

Within slot 38 in guard section 37, there is provided a movable tongue piece 41 which terminates, adjacent to rail section 34 in a concave, semicircular or acutely bowed face section 42 having the same radius of curvature as rail section 34. Tongue piece 41 and face section 42 together constitute a portion of an assembly which will be referred to generally as staple drive mechanism 40. The face of section 42 is provided with a series of serrations 43 intended to cooperate with the backs of successive staples positioned on rail section 34 and in the absence of such staples to contact the surface of rail section 34. The rear portion of tongue 41 terminates in an upstanding block 44 to which is attached pivot arm 45 which extends over and parallel to tongue 41. Block 44 is suificiently thick that arm 45 extends over mounting block 35 and guard section 37. Pivot arm 45 terminates in pivot 46 which is mounted on sliding block 47, FIG. 3, which is keyed in slot 48 provided in the top surface of mounting block 35. Pivot arm 45 is so dimensioned that the center of pivot 46 coincides with the center of revolution of rail section 34 when serrations 43 are in contact with rail section 34.

On the side of block 44, opposite tongue: 41, is mounted pin 49, FIGS. 2 and 4, which cooperates with and extends into a mating hole 51, FIG. 2, in sliding block 52 in such a manner that while blocks 44 and 52 are free to move relative to each other along the direction of the axis of pin 49, any motion imparted to block 52 in any other direction will be imparted to block 44. Block 52 passes through a slot cut in bridge 53 and bridge 53 in turn is fastened to support 36. A shoulder 54 formed on the end of block 52 adjacent to block 44 is provided which rides in sliding engagement with the sides of bridge 53 and prevents block 52 from being displaced in a direction away from block 44. The side or shoulder 54 adjacent bridge 53 is curved on a radius centered on pivot 46. Spring 55 which surrounds pin 49 and is shouldered on blocks 44 and 52, forces the two blocks apart and tends to force shoulder 54 into contact with bridge 53 and serrations 43 into contact with rail section 34.

The outboard end of block 52 is journaled for limited pivoting movement through pin 56 to projection 57 which extends from the side of crank shaft 53. Crank shaft 58 is mounted on drive shaft 19 by means of eccentric 59. The rotary motion of shaft 19 is thus converted to a reciprocating vertical motion imparted to drive mechanism 49. During each rotation of drive shaft 19, then, staple drive mechanism 40, including face section 42, is driven through one complete reciprocating cycle relative to semi-circular rail section 34 and moves in a vertical circular path having a center of rotation at the axis of pivot 46.

At the same time, staple drive mechanism 40 is forced away from semi-circular rail section 34 on a predetermined cyclical basis by means of a staple: drive release mechanism indicated generally at 61, FIG. 2. Staple drive release mechanism 61 consists of eccentric 62 mounted on drive shaft 19, crank shaft 63 and sliding block 64. Sliding block 64 is keyed in a slot 65 provided in support 36 as shown in FIG. 4. Crank shaft 63 is provided with a stroke adjusting means indicated as threaded section 66 and adjusting nut 67 located thereon and cooperating with eccentric 62. During each rotation of drive shaft 19, then, sliding block 64 reciprocates vertically through one complete cycle.

Sliding block 64 is provided on one face thereof with a groove 68, FIG. 2, intended to cooperate with a bearing 69 journaled in the rear face of sliding block 47. Groove 68 acts as a cam and bearing 69 acts as a cam follower as sliding block 64 reciprocates. Groove 68 is provided with two surfaces1ower surface 71 and upper surface 72, both of which are parallel to the axis of motion of sliding block 64, but offset laterally. Groove 68 is also provided with an intermediate surface 73 lying between upper surface 72 and lower surface 71. Intermediate surface 73 is set at an oblique angle to the axis of reciprocation of sliding block 64. Cam surface 68 is so arranged that when cam follower 69 is in contact with lower surface 71 (a condition that would occur only if there are no staples on rail section 34), sliding block of contact with the staples.

47 is so positioned that pivot 46 is centered in the center of rotation of semi-circular rail section 34 and serrations 43 of face section 42 are in contact with the face of rail section 34. When cam follower 6% is in contact with upper parallel surface 72, sliding block 17 is forced to the right (as shown in FiGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4) sufficiently that the serrations d3 of face section 42 are removed from the face of rail section 34 by a distance in excess of ths thickness of the back of the staples intended to be used in the apparatus. Intermediate surface 75 is set at an angle to the path of the reciprocal motion of sliding block 64 such that cam follower 69 may slide smoothly between the two positions as block 64 reciprocates.

Staple drive release mechanism 61 is provided with a second instrumentality which consists of inverted saddle 75 which in FIG. 6 is attached to the sliding block 6' by means of pin 74 extending from the lower extremity of block 64. Pin '74 cooperates with and is in sliding engagement with a hole drilled in sliding block 64 and is keyed therein to prevent it from extending out more than a predetermined amount. Spring 76 which surrounds pin 74 and is shouldered on the bottom face of sliding block 64 and the upper surface of inverted saddle normally urges these two elements apart. Inverted saddle 75 is designed to straddle inner staple support rail 29 and the staples contained thereon (inner support rail 29 being the extension of semi-circular rail section 34) and to contact through the lower extensions of arms 77 and 73 of saddle 75, the upper surface of clamp block of supplemental or secondary staple propulsion means 81). Clamp block 79 is provided with a complex groove 81, FIGS. 6 and 7. The side walls 79 of the upper part 32 of groove 31 are designed to cooperate with the outside edges of staples S arranged on inner rail 29 and are provided with a series of shallow vertical grooves 82' so arranged that the projections between the grooves will extend into the depressions between adjoining staples that exist when the staples are in contact with each other. The lower portion $3 of groove 81 is designed to pass over outer staple support rail 28 which at this point, immediately adjacent guard section 37, is proportioned to fit into slot 33 of guard section 37 and to act as a continuation of the staple support means provided by outer and inner guard sections 37 and 37.

When sliding block 64 is in its down position and the serrated face 43 of staple drive mechanism i -"Ill is removed from contact with the staples, saddle 753' is also in its down' position thereby forcing clamp block 7% out 64 is returned to its upper position, clamp block 79 is forced back into contact with the staples by the force exerted by spring 84 which is positioned between clamp block 79 and rocker arm 87 and which exerts a lesser force than spring 76.

While in contact with the sides of the staples, clamp block 79 is urged forward by a mechanism which consists of pin 85, support arm 86, and sliding block 37. Pin 85 cooperates with and is slidably mounted in a hole drilled in the arm 86 and is keyed by means of a key and a key slot in arm 86 to limit the extent of its motion. The forward pressure that block 79 can exert on the staples is limited by the action of spring 88 which surrounds pin 85 and is shouldered on the rear surface of block 79 and the forward surface of arm 86. Arm 86 is journalled on sliding block 87 by means of horizontal journal pin 81.

Sliding block 87 is supported by bridge 91 mounted on support 36 in such a manner that sliding block 87 is free to slide reciprocally in a direction parallel to rails 28 and 29. Sliding block 87 is provided with a generally vertically extending cam slot 92 which has a lower rearwardly extending portion 93 and an upper vertical portion 94. A cam follower consisting of roller 95 is provided to engage in and cooperate with cam slot 92.

As soon as sliding block Portions of bridge 91 and support 35 are cut away to provide for the unimpeded movement of roller 95 and its support.

Roller 95 is rotatably mounted on support arm 96 which protrudes from rocker arm 97. Rocker arm 97 is pivoted at pin 9%} attached to base 12. Vertical reciprocating motion is imparted to rocker arm 97 by means of a linkage consisting of eccentric 9% which is mounted on drive shaft 19, crank shaft 101, journal 1%, crank shaft 1153, clamp 1114, journal 105, projection 1% and expansion joint 1117. Expansion joint 1117 which consists of pin 1% projecting from the end of rocker arm 97 and cooperating with hole 199 in projection 1% permits the lateral displacement of projection 1136 relative to rocker arm $7 caused by the fact that the end of rocker arm 97 describes a circular path and clamp 1% describes a vertical path.

Cam roller support arm 16 is mounted on rocker arm 97 between pivot 98 and clamp 104. Rocker arm 97 itself extends generally parallel to lower extension 18 of base 12 and supports at its end staple driver 27. As

drive shaft 19' is rotated eccentric 9 acting through crank shafts 1G1 and 1%?) alternately elevates and depresses the forward end of rocker arm 97. As the crank shafts 1111, 1113 move down, driver 27 is elevated and as the crank shafts rise, driver 27 is depressed. On the other hand, as these crank shafts rise, cam roller 95 which engages the walls of cam slot 92 rises and forces sliding block 87 rearward (to the left as shown in FIG. 2) and as the crank shafts go down roller goes down and returns the sliding block 87 to its forward position.

Anvil 2d of clinching head 15 is a projection of presser block 111. Presser block 111 is reciprocated vertically by means of a linkage consisting of eccentric 112 which is mounted on drive shaft 19, crank pin 113, crank shaft 114 and adjusting screw 115. Adjusting screw 115 is mounted on the top of presser block 111 and projects into and cooperates with a tapped hole 116 in the lower extension 117 of crank shaft 114. Crank pin 1113 projects into and cooperates with a hole 113 drilled into the upper end of crank shaft 114. The lower end of crank pin 113 is provided with keys 119, which cooperate with keyways 121 provided in the walls of hole 118 to limit the extent of the relative motion between crank pin 113 and crank shaft 114-. Crank pin 113 and crank shaft 114 are normally urged apart by spring 122 which surrounds crank pin 113 and is shouldered on the upper end of crank shaft 114 and on a shoulder 123 provided on crank pin 113 adjacent eccentric 112. Crank pin 113 is rotatably mounted on eccentric 112 whereby, by rotating crank pin 113 relative to eccentric 112, presser foot 26 may be raised or lowered relative to lower extension 1d of base 12. The sliding connection between crank pin 113 and crank shaft 114 is provided so that the force exerted on the part being stapled by presser foot 26 can never exceed that permitted by spring 122.

In operation, loose staples S are placed in the hopper 24- wherein they are oriented on rail 23. The staples slide under the force of gravity to semi-circular staple support rail 34 where they are inverted by being forced around the semi-circular support rail onto inner support rail 29. While on inner support rail 29, the staples are pro'pelied in an inverted position to clinching head 15. Throughout the entire path, the staples are prevented from being dis lodged by rail cover 25, guard section 37 and outer support rail 29. While on semi-circular rail section 34, the staples are given a motion toward clinching head 15 by the reciprocating action of staple drive 41). In staple drive 40, the staples are clamped individually onto the transverse grooves or serrations 43 provided in the face of staple drive 413, are forced into firm contact with the semicircular support rail 34. All the staples on section 34 are moved forward simultaneously but individually by the reciprocating action of staple drive 40, and the movement of the staples around the entire curved rail section 34 is such that the ends of adjacent staples are maintained in spaced apart relation and such that the staples themselves are prevented from overriding or overlapping. The supplemental staple drive means is preferably, though not necessarily, provided for the staples after they are aligned on inner support rail 29 to insure that the staples will be consistantly and reliably but not excessively forcefully fed to clinching head 15.

The motion of this supplemental drive mechanism cooperates with that of drive means 40 to force a succession of staples to move laterally down rail 29 to clinching head 15. Thus each staple is fed to the clinching head 15 with exactly the same force by and which force is prevented from becoming excessive by the action of spring 88 in the drive linkage of clamp block 79. During the reverse stroke of the reciprocating action of the drive mechanisms, both are forced out of contact with the staples by the action of staple drive release mechanism 61. To give the staples ample time to advance, however, their release by drive means 8%) is delayed slightly by spring 76 which delays the return of saddle 75 into engagement with clamp block 79.

The motion of the several reciprocating parts is controlled by the rotation of drive shaft 19 which completes one revolution per cycle of machine operation and which acts through the series of eccentrics as aforesaid. It is to be understood, of course, that conventional cranks or cams may alternatively be used with the same results.

As shown in FIG. 2, eccentric 59 is in the up position slightly past dead center and on the way down; eccentrics 99, 112 are in the down position slightly past dead center and on the way up; and eccentric 62 is slightly more than half way between up and down position in its upward stroke. Thus the staple drive release mechanism 61 is at that point in the cycle where it has just permitted staple drive mechanism 49 and secondary staple drive mechanism 80 to return into firm contact with the staples. This condition will persist during most of the next half revolution of drive shaft 19. As shown, drive mechanism 40 and secondary drive mechanism 80 are just starting to propel the staples in the direction of the clinching means 15 and will continue to do so during the next half revolution of drive shaft 19. Also as shown in FIG. 2, presser foot 26 is starting to rise and staple driver 27 is starting to withdraw. This movement of the staple driver and of the presser foot will continue for approximately another half revolution of drive shaft 19 at which point presser foot 26 will be fully raised and staple driver 27 fully withdrawn.

As pointed out above, the machine is controlled by a single revolution clutch designed to stop drive shaft 19 at some predetermined point in its rotation after the clutch is released. This predetermined stopping point is approximately one half of a revolution of drive shaft 19 from the position shown in FIG. 2. At such point, presser foot 26 is fully raised thereby permitting the easy insertion of the piece to be stapled intoclinching head 15; staple driver 27 is fully withdrawn and in position to engage the back of the next staple; and drive mechanism 40 and secondary drive mechanism iii) are substantially in their fully advanced position (in the direction of clinching head 15) and are in contact with the staples thus insuring that a staple is in position to be engaged by staple driver 27.

As soon as the clutch is actuated, drive shaft 19 begins to rotate. Presser foot 26 is forced into contact with the goods being stapled and staple driver 2'7 rises into contact with the next staple and pushes the staple towards presser foot 26. As soon as staple driver 27 engages the next staple, drive mechanism tt) and secondary drive mechanism 8t? are released from contact with the staples by'the downward motion of staple drive release mechanism 61 which at its stopping point is at the half id stroke position in the downward direction, and return to the position shown in FIG. 1.

In summary, the movements of both eccentrics 59 and 62 contribute to the motion of element 40. Thus, eccentric 59 through its crankshaft 58 and blocks 52 and 44 moves element up and down so that it slides along the curved rail portion 34 (assuming there are no staples thereon). At the same time, eccentric d2 through its crankshaft 63, block 64 and the pivot arm 45 moves the element 4d toward and away from rail portion 34. The movements of the two eccentrics 59 and 62 are correlated so that when element 46 is moving down along rail portion 34 it is positioned as far to the left (FIG. 2) as it will go. That is, it either engages the staples S on rail portion 34 or the portion 34 itself if the rail is empty of staples. But when element 46 is moving up along rail portion 34, it is also shifted to the right (FIG. 2) away from rail portion 34 and out of engagement with any staples S thereupon.

The net motion of element 49 is best illustrated by comparing it with the action of the human hand in screwing a pipe into a socket. More particularly, visualize element it) as a left hand and the curved array of staples S astride rail portion 34 as a pipe section. In order to screw the pipe into the socket, the hand grips the pipe and turns it in one direction about its longitudinal axis. Then the hand releases its grip on the pipe and slides back to its original position. Whereupon it is in position to again grip the pipe at a different point on its circumference and again turn it in said one direction. So here, the element 40 grips the staples on rail portion 34 individually and collectively and turns or moves them about an axis which in this case corresponds to the axis of curved rail portion 34. Then element 4! releases the staples and returns to its original position for re-engagement with succeeding staples.

The apparatus described in detail provides a convenient and easy means for orienting, inverting and supplying staples continuously to a clinching head from a bulk supply and for applying the staples in an inverted position even in restricted areas such as in the toe of a womans shoe. The key to the successful operation of the machine is the fact that even though the staples pass through most of the machine in groups with each staple in firm contact with its neighboring staples, during the inverting step, each staple is moved individually and all staples are moved simultaneously under conditions which prevent adjoining staples from entangling with or overriding one another.

Obviously, the apparatus can be adapted for use with other generally U-shaped articles not strictly classified as staples and for this reason the term staples as used here-.

in is intended to include all such articles. It is obvious also that the particular instrumentalities described may be modified considerably without changing the mode of operation of the machine. Such modifications and adaptations should be considered to be within the scope of the invention, which invention is defined solely in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a fastener dispensing apparatus, means for inverting generally U-shaped articles such as staples comprising: a stationary upstanding acutely bowed body adapted to receive and support generally U-shaped articles arranged astride the rim thereof; feed means for sequentially and continuously supplying general U-shaped articles in a points down condition to the rim of said body; delivery means for sequentially and continuously removing said articles in a points up condition from the rim of said body, said feed means and said delivery means contacting said body at separated points on the rim thereof, said points being in different quadrants of said body; and means for urging each of said articles from the vicinity of the feed means to the vicinity of the delivery means, said means applying a propelling force to said articles individually and simultaneously while maintaining said articles in sliding engagement with and astride said body.

2. In a staple dispensing machine, means for inverting staples which comprise: an upstanding stationary acutely bowed body adapted to receive and support staples astride the rim thereof; feed means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously supplying staples in a points down condition to the rim of said body; delivery means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously removing staples in a points up condition from the rim of said body, said feed means and said delivery means contacting the rim of said body in different quadrants of said body; and means for urging said staples from the vicinity of said feed means to the vicinity of said delivery means while maintaining said staples in sliding contact with and astride the rim of said body, said means actin on each staple individually.

3. In a dispensing machine, means for inverting staples which comprises: an upstanding stationary discoid body adapted to receive and support staples astride the rim thereof; feed means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously supplying staples in a points down condition to the rim of said body; delivery means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously removing staples in a points up condition from the rim of said body, said feed means contacting the rim of said body at an upper quadrant thereof and said delivery means contacting the rim of said body at a lower quadrant thereof; and means for urging said staples from the vicinity of said feed means to the vicinity of said delivery means while maintaining said staples in sliding contact with and astride the rim of said body, said means acting on each staple individually.

4. In a staple dispensing machine, means for inverting staples which comprises: an upstanding stationary discoid body adapted to receive and support staples astride the rim thereof; feed means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously supplying staples to the rim of said body; delivery means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously removing staples from the rim of said body, said feed means contacting the rim of said body at an upper quadrant thereof and said delivery means contacting the rim of said body at a lower quadrant thereof; and reciprocating means provided with a curved transversely serrated face adapted to cooperate with the rim of said body, said reciprocating means urging said staples from the vicinity of said feed means to the vicinity of said delivery means while maintaining said staples in sliding contact with and astride the rim of said body, said means acting on each staple individually.

5. In a staple dispensing machine, means for inverting staples which comprises: an upstanding stationary discoid body adapted to receive and support staples astride the rim thereof; feed means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously supplying staples to the rim of said body; delivery means including a feed rail for sequentially and continuously removing staples from the rim of said body, said feed means contacting the rim of said body at an upper quadrant thereof and said delivery means contacting the rim of said body at a lower quadrant thereof; and reciprocating means provided with a curved transversely serrated face adapted to cooperate with the rim of said body, said means reciprocating in two directions one being about an axis parallel to and adjacent the axis of said discoid body and the other being along a radius of said body, said means intermittently urging said staples from the vicinity of said feed means to the vicinity of said delivery means while maintaining said staples in sliding contact with and astride the rim of said body, said means acting on each staple individually.

6. Apparatus for dispensing U-shaped objects with their ends up comprising: a rail adapted to support said objects for sliding movement thereon, said rail having an upper downwardly inclined portion having a slope such that objects placed thereon will slide under the force of jects are inverted and delivered'with their ends up to said horizontal rail portion.

7. Apparatus for inserting staples comprising: a downwardly inclined rail having at its lower end'a curved portion gently curving under and terminating in a generally horizontal rail portion, said horizontal rail portion being at angle acute to said inclined rail portion; means for feeding staples individually onto and astride of said inclined rail the slope of said inclined rail being such that said staples slide down said inclined rail to said curved rail portion; means adjacent to and conforming with said curved rail portion for reciprocating along, toward and away from said curved rail portion whereby said means intermittently engages and advances said staples en masse around said curved rail portion and urges them successively onto and along said horizontal rail portion whereby said staples are delivered to the end of said horizontal rail portion with their points up.

8. in a stapling'machine having a downwardly inclined rail onto which U-shaped staples are fed end down individually for sliding movement down said rail: a vertically curved rail extension contiguous with the lower end of said rail and terminating in a generally horizontal rail portion making an acute angle with said inclined rail; means associated with said curved rail extension for urging those of said staples sliding down to said rail extension around said extension and pushing them onto and along said horizontal rail portion whereby they arrive atthe end of said horizontal rail portion with their ends up.

9. A stapling machine comprising: first and second rails spaced apart and adapted to support for sliding movement therebetween L -shaped fasteners, said rails having upper, downwardly inclined portions, intermediate curved portions and lower horizontal portions; means adjacent the beginning of said inclined portions for feeding staples individually into the space between and to straddle the second of said rails, the slope of said inclined rail portions being such that said staples slide down on said second inclined rail portion to saidcurved rail-portions; means adjacent to and conforming with one of said curved rail portions for intermittently engaging and advancing those of said staples sliding to said curved rail portions around said curved portions whereby said staples are inverted and pushed onto and along to the end of said horizontal rail portions of said first rail.

10. A staple applying machine adapted to receive loose staples, to orient and invert said staplesand to apply said staples while inverted which comprises: a feed rail adapted to retain staples in sliding contact astride thereof and having a supply portion, a delivery portion and an inverting portion therebetween; means for arranging individual staples on the supply portion of said rail; means for advancing staples so arranged to the inverting portion of said rail; means associated with said inverting portion to contact each staple individually and to advance said staples collectively through said inverting portion to the delivery portion of said feed rail; means including a delivery portion, said supply portion joining said discoid means associated with said feed rail for preventing the dislodgement of staples from said feed rail, said inverting portion comprising a segment of a stationary upstanding discoid body the rim of which is in tangential contact with the surface of both the supply portion and the delivery portion, said supply portion joining said discoid body in an upper quadrant thereof and said delivery por- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/24 Dlesk 13.1 X 9/50 Natzke 13 X SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner.

GRANVILLE Y. CUSTER, Examiner. 

1. IN A FASTENER DISPENSING APPARATUS, MEANS FOR INVERTING GENREALLY U-SHAPED ARTICALE SUCH AS STAPLES COMPRISING: A STATIONARY UPSTANDING ACUATELY BOWED BODY ADATPED TO RECEIVE AND SUPPORT GENERALLY U-SHAPED ARTICLES ARRANGED ASTRIDE THE RIM THEREOF; FEED MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY AND CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING GENERAL U-SHAPED ARTICLES IN A POINTS DOWN CONDITION TO THE RIM OF SAID BODY; DELIVERY MEANS FOR SEQUENTIALLY AND CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING SAID ARTICLES IN A POINTS UP CONDITION FROM THE RIM OF SAID BODY, SAID FEED MEANS AND SAID DELIVERY MEANS CONTACTING SAID BODY AT SEPARATED POINTS ON THE RIM THEREOF, SAID POINTS BEING IN DIFFERENT QUANDRANTS OF SAID BODY; AND MEANS FOR URING EACH OF SAID ARTICLES FROM THE VICINITY OF THE FEED MEANS TO THE VICINITY OF THE DELIVERY MEANS, SAID MEANS APPLYING A PROPELLING FORCE TO SAID ARTICLES INDIVIDUALLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WHILE MAINATINING SAID ARTICLES IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH AND ASTRIDE SAID BODY. 